Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also urged allies in Europe to take a larger role in securing the strait, saying “This is much more their fight than ours.”

The war has rattled energy markets since it started at the end of February, with the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz causing a sharp drop in flows from major oil and gas producers in the Persian Gulf.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to "shoot and kill" any small Iranian boats that deploy mines to further congest traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the United States on Sunday said it rescued a service member missing behind enemy lines since Iran downed a fighter jet, Iran’s state TV aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of American aircraft that were part of the rescue operation that the country’s military had shot down.

Three US Navy aircraft carriers. One region. At the same time. That hasn't happened in over 20 years — not since the United States was gearing up to invade Iraq in 2003. And right now, as you're watching this,

Trump on Thursday ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, stating that the US has already weakened Iran’s military through conventional means. Meanwhile, efforts to resume peace talks have stalled after deadlock related to Strait of Hormuz.

A U.S. A-10 aircraft has been hit by Iranian air defenses, Iranian state media reported. The Associated Press reported earlier that a second U.S. Air Force combat aircraft had gone down in the Middle East on Friday.